Consult an RPA
Radiation Protection Adviser Service
Consult and/or Appoint an RPA within hours. Our Radiation Protection Adviser Service provides qualified, experienced and fully certificated Radiation Protection Advisers (RPAs) with many years of experience.
All our RPAs are certificated by the HSE approved accreditation body, RPA 2000. This means that when you consult an RPA and/or appoint an RPA you can be confident your company is in the best possible hands.
For a free RPA telephone consultation call us on 01929 401040 (initial consultation can also provided by email, click here).
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Table of contents
A Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) is a person appointed to advise an employer engaged in work with ionising radiation on compliance with the Regulations. The Regulations are primarily the Ionising Radiations Regulations (IRR17) and the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations (REPPIR19). In summary, the advice includes those radiation protection matters necessary to comply with these Regulations.
Is your company compliant with IRR17?
Your compliance with the Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017 (IRR17) is our paramount goal. For instance, the latest regulations introduce notification, registration and consent requirements for certain work and certain practices. Our Radiation Protection Adviser service can advise you on all newly implemented requirements.
In addition we can supply a radation protection adviser (sometimes spelt radiation protection advisor) to take the lead on radiological protection matters within your business. Alternatively, we can integrate one of our RPAs into an existing health physics or project team.
Getting advice from and consulting with an RPA
Employers are required to consult an RPA under certain conditions set out in IRR17. The employer should seek advice from the RPA as to whether formal consultation and appointment is necessary. Consultation is mandatory where the work belongs to one of the specifications set out in:
- Schedule 4 of IRR17;
- Paragraph 249 of the IRR17 Approved Code of Practice (L121); or
- Regulation 24 of REPPIR19.
However, consultation is not necessary where the work belongs to one of the categories listed in Schedule 1 of IRR17. For further information please see the section below When Must I Consult with an RPA? A brief consultation with our RPA service will help determine whether appointment is necessary.
How do I find a qualified Radiation Protection Adviser?
Your Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) must hold a valid certificate of competence from an organisation recognised by HSE as an Assessing Body for the certification of individual RPAs. An example of an Assessing Body is RPA2000. Therefore, you should ask your RPA for a copy of his or her certificate.
Our Radiation Protection Adviser Service
Our RPA service delivers full compliance to IRR17 and REPPIR19 including compliance with the key regulations listed below. For instance, this includes Basic Radiation Protection (BRP) training and the training of Radiation Protection Supervisors (RPSs). Therefore, if you are unsure on which areas you require advice then please give us a call on 01929 401040 and let us help you decide.
You can find examples of typical projects requiring RPA appointment here, here, here and here.
When must I consult with a Radiation Protection Adviser?
An RPA should be consulted in order to ensure compliance with the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17). In any event an RPA must be consulted to ensure compliance with the regulations marked with an asterisk in the list below.
*Note that asterisks indicate mandatory RPA consultation.
IRR17 General Principles and Procedures
- Notification of Certain Work to the Health and Safety Executive (Reg. 5);
- Registration of Certain Practices (Reg. 6);
- Consent to Carry Out Specified Practices (Reg. 7);
- *Prior Radiological Risk Assessments (Reg. 8);
- *Advice on the Restriction of Exposure to Internal and External Radiation Hazards (Reg. 9);
- *Prior Examination and Acceptance of Engineering Controls, Design Features, Safety Features and Warning Devices (Reg. 9);
- *Periodic Examination of the above including any Safe Systems of Work (Regs. 14 & 20);
- Advice and Training on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including Respiratory Protective Equipment (Reg. 10);
- *Contingency Planning (Reg. 13).
Arrangements for the Management of Radiation Protection
- Radiation Protection Adviser (Reg. 14);
- Information, Instruction and Training (Reg. 15);
- Advice on Co-operation between Employers (Reg. 16).
Designated Areas
- *Designation of Controlled and Supervised Areas (Reg. 17, 18, 19 & 20);
- *Appointment of Radiation Protection Supervisors (RPSs) (Reg. 18);
- *Advice on the production of Local Rules (Reg. 18);
- *Advice on the Selection, Calibration and Use of Monitoring Equipment (Reg. 20).
Classification and Monitoring of Persons
- *Designation of Classified Persons (Reg. 21);
- Arrangements for Outside Workers (Regs. 19 & 22);
- *Dose Assessment and Recording (Reg. 22);
- Advice on Medical Surveillance (Reg. 25).
Arrangements for the Control of Radioactive Substances, Articles and Equipment
- Leak testing of Sealed Sources (Reg. 28);
- Control of Radioactive Substances (Regs. 29 & 30);
- *Quality assurance programs for equipment used for Medical Exposures (Reg. 33);
- *Formal Investigations (Regs. 9, 23 26, 31 & 33).
So please call 01929 401040 for more information about our RPA Service.
For further information online about RPAs click here.